Hopes Brit Hamas hostage could be free in DAYS as Gaza peace plan revealed…with Israel given 72hrs to exact final blows
THE long-awaited peace deal between Israel and Hamas has sparked hopes a British hostage could be among those released in a matter of days.
The first phase of the ceasefire deal sees the release of 33 "mostly alive" hostages - possibly including British-Israeli Emily Damari, 28 - in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
The Spurs fan was shot in the hand and suffered shrapnel wounds to the leg when she was snatched from the Kfar Aza kibbutz village on October 7.
But freed hostages later revealed Emily had helped cheer up other captives in Gaza's terror tunnels.
She is second on a list of 34 names earmarked for release by Hamas.
Three hostages are likely to be released on Sunday while another four will follow a week later, sources close to the negotiators claim.
READ MORE ON ISRAEL
This means that Emily could be back to her family in a matter of days.
Her South London- born mum has desperately campaigned for her daughter's release who was kidnapped from her home by Hamas alongside her twin brothers Ziv and Gali Berman, 27.
Speaking to The Sun back in October, Mandy Damari, 63, said: "It is breaking my heart a little more, day by day. Soon there will be nothing left of my heart - or Emily."
The mum had also sent an agonising letter to prime minister Keir Starmer asking him to use everything in his power to get it delivered through intermediaries to her daughter in Gaza.
Following the announcement of the ceasefire deal, shared photos of football fans at an Arsenal v Tottenham match who had messages of support for her daughter
She wrote on X: "You have come together to say 'bring her home'. Thank you."
The family's hopes to be reunited with their daughter soon comes as Israel has 72 hours to finalise the details of the deal.
The deal will go into effect on Sunday and will consist of three phases that will also include sending aid into Gaza and the withdrawal of Israeli troops.
It outlines a six-week initial ceasefire phase that includes the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the return of Palestinians to Gaza.
The deal was finally announced as the world watched with bated breath hoping to see an end to the 15-month war in the Middle East.
Speaking at a news conference in Doha, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said the ceasefire would take effect on Sunday.
He added that negotiators are working with Israel and Hamas on steps to implement the agreement.
Any plan will need to be approved by Netanyahu's Security Cabinet and then his full cabinet.
Israel's cabinet was set to vote on the ceasefire deal later today but the PM's office released a statement accusing the terror group of "last-minute blackmail."
It reads: "Hamas is backing out of the explicit understandings agreed upon with the mediators and Israel in a last-minute blackmail attempt.
The PM's office previously halted some celebrations when they said some issues are still "unresolved".
Outgoing US president Joe Biden seconded the ceasefire and hostage deal in a speech from the White House.
He said: "This deal will halt the fighting in Gaza, surge much-needed humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians, and reunite the hostages with their families after more than 15 months in captivity."
He announced at a press briefing: "My diplomacy never ceased in their efforts to get this done."
His successor, Donald Trump, who takes office on Monday was among the first to confirm a hostage deal had been reached as he posted on Truth Social.
He said: "WE HAVE A DEAL FOR THE HOSTAGES IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THEY WILL BE RELEASED SHORTLY. THANK YOU!"
Trump later wrote: "I am thrilled American and Israeli hostages will be returning home to be reunited with their families and loved ones."
THREE-PHASE AGREEMENT
The ceasefire is built around a three-phase plan aiming to put an end to the conflict in the Middle East.
The first phase involves a complete six-week ceasefire that includes the withdrawal of Israeli troops from central Gaza.
It will focus on the release of 33 hostages, including women, children, and the elderly, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
The hostages released in the initial 42 days are reportedly those in critical condition - including one-year-old Kfir Bibas.
The next to be freed will be female civilians and female soldiers before finally the remaining civilian men, Channel 12 reports.
Humanitarian aid is expected to flood the region, with 600 trucks of supplies entering Gaza daily.
An end to the war is the goal of the second stage as the temporary ceasefire is set to become permanent.
The second phase will see Hamas release the remaining hostages, primarily male soldiers, in exchange for further prisoner releases and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Over 1,000 Palestinian security prisoners are set to be freed - including at least 250 terrorists - in return for the hostages, Times of Israel reports.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
In the third and final phase, the bodies of hostages who did not survive captivity will be returned to their families.
In exchange, Gaza would receive a three- to five-year reconstruction plan overseen by international authorities.
What happened on October 7?
ON OCTOBER 7, 2023, Hamas launched a brutal surprise attack on Israel, marking one of the darkest days in the nation’s history.
Terrorists stormed across the border from Gaza, killing over 1,200 people — most of them civilians — and kidnapping 250 others, including women, children, and the elderly.
The coordinated assault saw heavily armed fighters infiltrate Israeli towns, kibbutzim, and military bases, unleashing indiscriminate violence.
Innocent families were slaughtered in their homes, and graphic footage of the atrocities spread across social media, leaving the world in shock.
The massacre triggered a swift and massive retaliatory response from Israel, escalating into a full-scale war.
The attack not only reignited long-standing tensions in the region but also left deep scars on both sides of the conflict, setting the stage for the 15 months of devastation that followed.